Beware of clumped morels

Pickled morels are also poisonous after heating

04/17/2013

In spring, it drives many mushroom seekers into the open air. Morels are especially popular. The delicious mushrooms can be tasty prepared for salad, soup or vegetable garnish. An older specimen gets caught between the fresh morels. Experts, however, warn against eating spiked morels. Mushroom poisoning can lead to the neurological poisoning syndrome.

Neurological poisoning syndrome by clumped morels
The toxicologist Professor Siegmar Berndt of the German Society of Mycology (DGfM) strongly advises mushroom seekers to sort out older morels and not to eat. Consumption of the mushrooms can lead to the neurological poisoning syndrome, which is characterized by circulatory problems, malaise, trembling, dizziness, drunkenness and intestinal and stomach problems such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. For those affected, it could also lead to uncertainties when walking and walking difficulties. If poisoning is suspected, the poison emergency call should be contacted.

French researchers have analyzed the neurological symptoms of intoxication based on 300 cases from 30 years. Most of the complaints occurred twelve hours after the meal. This was reported by Berndt at a meeting of fungal experts at the Hannover Medical School. Not all symptoms would always occur. Some patients also suffered only from gastrointestinal complaints or dizziness and tremor with Gehunsicherheiten.

Which substances causing poisoning is still unclear. It is believed that a neurotoxin leads to the symptoms of poisoning, which can not be made harmless even by the strong heat, such as those produced during cooking or roasting, explained Berndt. According to the expert, the concentration of the toxin in the fruiting bodies of the morels is probably rather low. Therefore, it comes only after the consumption of a larger portion of spoiled morels for poisoning. For that would have to „at least six big morels“ be consumed, says Brendt. Presumably, the fungal poison is formed mainly in older specimens. Therefore, the expert advises to prepare only fresh and unspoiled morels. If mushrooms smelled musty or did not look fresh anymore, they would not be on the plate anymore.

Note difference between Morchen and poisonous Lorcheln
Mushroom seekers find morels in the spring especially well hidden in alluvial and deciduous forests, if the soil is not too sour. Other locations for the popular mushrooms may be burnt places, woodchip or bushes. Morels can be recognized by their bright tall stalk, on which sits a roundish, honeycomb-looking, beige-yellow to brownish hat.

There is a distinction between spicy and mixed choke. While the fruiting bodies of shaggy morel in the lowlands are melting shortly after the snow has melted and appear in the highlands until the beginning of June, the mushroom season of the edible morel mushroom is between April and June.

To confuse with other mushrooms it comes mainly with the poisonous spring-salmon, whose hat has however no small chambers on the surface. In addition, the spring hellebore grows mainly on sandy soils in the pine forest.

Morels in natural medicine
Naturopathy makes use primarily of the effect of the Chinese morel (Mu-Err mushroom, Auricularia judae), which can be used in many civilization diseases. For example, in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the morel is used as a medicinal mushroom in arteriosclerosis („hardening of the arteries“) Application. It should regulate the circulation and lower cholesterol. Furthermore, the fungus should have an anticoagulant effect, which should positively influence the blood pressure. Therefore, the Chinese morel can be used in the prevention of heart attack, stroke and circulatory disorders. In addition, the Chinese morel mush is to have a positive effect on the immune system, by contributing to the formation of immune cells in the spleen. (Sb)

Picture: Meinhard Siegmundt